For Sale By Owner

Using a Realtor in Penticton or Selling On Your Own?

Sometimes a home owner will try to sell their home on their own. You will see these advertised as “For Sale By Owner”. Some home owners have had success selling their home themselves, but it is definitely not the preferred route to go when you want to sell your home for the best price as fast as possible.

When Selling Your Property

The number one benefit of using a professional Real Estate Agent in Penticton is marketing. A Realtor is going to give your real estate listing far more exposure than you could ever hope to achieve on your own. Real estate agents invest a significant amount of money on advertising and employ professionals that work hard at finding buyers for your home. It would be extremely difficult for a home owner to advertise their own property in the sort of way a Realtor does.

Marketing is just one of the start when it comes to having a Realtor working for you. A professional Real Estate Agent uses the internet in several ways, one being personal websites, like the one you are visiting right now. Another way your Realtor uses online resources is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which receives a tremendous amount of target traffic. Plus your real estate agent will hold open houses, and network with other agents and people in the community of Penticton.

Another important advantage that a Real Estate Agent offers the seller of a home is the knowledge of being able to effectively price your home. A Real Estate Agent will know how much other homes have sold for in the neighborhood and with having their finger on the pulse of the real estate market they will have a very good idea of how much your property will sell for. Yes, by using a Real Estate Agent to sell your home you will have to pay a commission, but it is a small price to pay when you consider that you will likely get a better price for your home, it will sell faster, and you won’t have to deal with the hassle and expense of advertising and showing the property.

When Buying a Property

If you are looking to buy a property in Penticton or anywhere in the Okanagan and you see a property that is being sold by the owner feel free to ask me about the house. As a Realtor I can do some research on the property for you, and even contact the seller on your behalf to negotiate a fair price. We can work my commissions into the price so that I am compensated for my work with you on all houses previously shown, and it will not make much of a difference on your payments. Commissions will need to be discussed on a case by case basis.

When you are a buyer there are some potential risks when buying property privately. As the buyer you are the one taking all of the risk. You can eliminate that risk by working with a Real Estate Agent. Your Realtor uses legal forms and they make the seller of the property sign a Property Condition Disclosure Statement. This signed document gives you all the information that the seller has. This gives you protection under contract, and if their is an issue your lawyer has a legal document which gives them the ability to fight for legal rights for you. Your Realtor is also going to do some research on the property which is also going to give you beneficial knowledge .

It comes down to this – Real estate is usually the largest investment you will ever make; Would you trust someone who is not a professional to handle any other investment?

At Property Central in Penticton we can help you with financing options, help you locate potential properties, provide you with objective information about the property and the area in which it is located, negotiate on your behalf with things such as price, financing, inclusion/exclusion of repairs, furnishing, fixtures, etc., and all of the final closing procedures such as communicating with the lenders, lawyers, vendors, and so on.

Scott Bowland is a licensed Residential Mortgage Specialist and Realtor in Penticton B.C.